740.00119 EW/9–444: Telegram
Mr. Carmel Offie, of the Office of the United States Political Adviser (Kirk) on the Staff of the Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean Theater (Wilson), to the Secretary of State
[Received September 5—8:24 p.m.]
295. SAC received word this morning that since early part of August Lieutenant Colonel Barnes, British liaison officer in Epirus, has been approached on several occasions through Greek agents by General von Lanz, Commander of German Twenty-second Mountain Corps. Von Lanz, who reportedly was in touch with dissident German generals, has made various proposals including an effort to meet Barnes personally. Most recently, on September 2, Barnes, on instructions, [Page 548] informed Greek emissary that British were only interested in surrender, but so as not to slam door he added that he would be receiving further instructions from his superiors in two or three days time.
No definite information has been received at AFHQ98 to indicate how genuine this approach might be, but it is known that on August 1st a Greek secret agent in Athens in employ of British reported that he had been approached by a Greek quisling with follow [apparent omission] a document circulated in Athens by a group of Greek quislings suggesting German evacuation of Greece under control of an international police force and thought that this document had been inspired by Allies. If that was the case they were willing to send an emissary to Cairo to discuss proposal and emissary would have full powers to negotiate advantageous conditions. Under this arrangement 50,000 German troops would remain in Greece to maintain order and hand over to Allies.
Immediately on receipt of this information SAC called a special meeting of his Political Committee and after some discussion it was agreed that Barnes should be instructed to inform von Lanz that British terms were unconditional surrender and if this should interest Germans they should dispatch immediately a high-ranking German officer to southern Italy for further discussion, adding that arrangements for evacuation of this official from Greece to Italy would be arranged by British.
- Allied Force Headquarters.↩